Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 PhD student, Iranian Institute of Wisdom and Philosophy Research Institute
2 PhD student in Philosophy of Religion, Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies
Abstract
Open-mindedness appears at the top of nearly every list of intellectual virtues presented by virtue epistemologists. This virtue reveals its moral- intellectual value, at least, at three levels; first, it can be useful in resolving intellectual conflicts and dissonances. Second, it can improve the evaluation and the assessment of rational claims and finally, it is necessary for the understanding of those claims. The believer, who has the merit of this intellectual virtue, can hope for being in a better position to have the other virtues like intellectual fairness, honesty, impartiality, patience, sympathy, creativity and autonomy and to reach to their end, i.e. conscientious and virtuous belief. Being well-equipped with the virtue of open-mindedness is determining for the religion followers. While it seems that religious beliefs and commitments are impediments to achieving open-mindedness due to their substantial ties with follower’s selves, it is the tint of the virtue and its corollaries that make the character and the beliefs of the followers conscientious and virtuous. Furthermore, the narratives, which arise from the scriptures and the lives of intellectual and moral exemplars in theistic religions, admire the character of a believer who takes and maintains his beliefs open-mindedly. Therefore, it seems that according to virtue approach to justification of religious belief, open-mindedness and the other relevant virtues have a fundamental role in the belief justification.
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